PALM BAY, Fla. – In what’s being called the largest bust of its kind in the U.S., Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey on Wednesday detailed the seizure of 92,000 pounds of an illegal substance and an arsenal of weapons and explosives.
In a Facebook post, Ivey said Maxwell Horvath, 26, was arrested on dozens of charges in connection with the seizure.
Ivey said the “major drug and explosive devices arrest” was “breaking bad on steroids!!”
[VIDEO BELOW: Sheriff details Brevard ‘Breaking Bad’ case]
In a month-long investigation that began in September and involved the DEA, ATF and Palm Bay Police Department, Ivey said agents seized about 92,000 pounds of an illegal substance suspected to contain a concentration of 7-OH, which is about 13 times more potent than morphine, that has a street value of about $4.7 million.
The state legislature recently made 7-OH illegal in Florida.
Ivey said Horvath ran Overseas Organics, a business in Palm Bay, where agents bought drugs and military-grade weapons from him during the investigation.
“(This facility was) lined up with all kinds of chambers, rooms, sterile environments,” Ivey said.
Sheriff Ivey said Horvath believed he could avoid legal trouble by shipping the product out of state.
[BELOW: Florida sheriff details seizure of 92,000 pounds of drugs, arsenal of weapons]
“He would tell you he’s got to ship to somebody in another state, because that way he thought it made it legal. Well, it didn’t, all right,” he said.
Agents said they recovered five explosive devices, grenade simulators, chemicals to make explosives, thousands of pounds of ammunition and an arsenal of weapons.
BCSO Public Information Officer Tod Goodyear says when agents uncovered the weapons, they were “surprised”. This is because Horvath, a convicted felon, is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
When asked how Horvath may have obtained the weapons, Goodyear said, “We’re not sure how he obtained the firearms. He is a convicted felon, so he couldn’t purchase them himself.”
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Horvath previously served two years in federal prison in 2017 for a separate offense. He now faces more than 30 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, among other charges.Neighbors said Horvath lived with his grandparents, whom they described as kind and friendly.
“And I was really surprised at what went on because Angela was very good. And if that’s their grandson, they’re very good grandparent,” a neighbor said.
When asked whether the arrest happened at the right time, Goodyear said, “I think it all comes down to the investigation and getting enough evidence to go to a judge.”
Authorities say federal indictments are pending, and Horvath had his first federal court appearance Thursday.
As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office states they remain focused on public safety.